The Brentwood Gazette’s Weekly Teaser — 9-9-2015: Tolstoy

Right … 

Once again, I’m working on a Wednesday: and I’m feeling somewhat rushed.

I’m ALSO aware that it’s going to taker the chaps at the Gazette will take a while to post these.

At ANY rate … ?

Let’s get moving on … 

~≈Ê≈~

At ANY rate … ?

Here’s this week’s Weekly Teaser: covered by the usual Creative Commons License* …

Q1) 9th September saw the birth of Leo Tolstoy.   In which year of the 1820s?

Q2) He was born under which name: Leo, Lev or Lee?

Q3) Which noble rank did Tolstoy hold?

Q4) Tolstoy’s middle name — Nikolayevich — is a patronymic.   In other words, it tells us the name of his: mother, father or paternal grandfather?

Q5) Tolstoy was born at the family estate: Yasnaya Polyana.   The name of the estate means Bright what: Glen, Glade or Garden?

Q6) Tolstoy’s final short novel, ‘Hadji Murat,’ was published posthumously.   In which year: 1911, 1912 or 1913?

Q7) His short story, ‘Sevastopol Sketches,’ was about his experiences in which war: the Invasion of Northern Kyrgyzstan, the Crimean War or the January Uprising?

Q8) His 1863 novel, ‘Kazaki,’ is usually called what, in English: ‘The Cossacks,’ ‘The Kazakhs’ or ‘The Chechens’?

Q9) His novel, ‘Anna Karenina,’ focuses on Princess Anna Arkadyevna Karenina.   What’s her family name?

Q10) Finally … Tolstoy’s other best known work is ‘War and Peace.’   The novel was published, in its complete form, in which year of the 1860s?

Here’s last week’s questions and answers …

Questions.
Q1) 2nd September, 1973, saw the death of J. R. R. Tolkien.   Who was the main character of his children’s book, ‘The Hobbit’?

Q2) More to the point, that hobbit joined thirteen dwarves and a wizard: to burgle from a dragon.   What was the name of the dragon?

Q3) More to the point, who was the leader of the dwarves?

Q4) Name any of the three books that make up Tolkien’s ‘The Lord Of The Rings’?

Q5) What name did Tolkien give to the setting for ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord Of The Rings’?

Q6) The last book in that setting was called what?

Q7) Tolkien was a philologist: which involved the study of what: alphabets, languages or runes?

Q8) At which University was Tolkien a professor?

Q9) Name either of the colleges he was a professor at?

Q10) Finally … What did the ‘J’ stand for … ?

Answers.

A1) Bilbo Baggins.

A2) Smaug.

A3) Thorin Oakenshield.

A4) ‘The Fellowship of the Rings’, ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return Of The King’.   (The decision to publish in three volumes was made by Tolkien’s publishers: concerned at the cost, during a period of paper rationing in the wake of World War 2.   He himself wanted to release it in a two volume set, with what later became ‘The Silmarillion.’)

A5) Middle Earth.   (Although he also referred to the setting, and its history, people and languages, as the ‘Legendarium.’)

A6) ‘The Silmarillion’.   (Much like each volume of ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ ‘The Silmarillion’ was divided up into several books: unlike ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ ‘The Silmarillion’ covered several different parts of Middle Earth’s history.)

A7) Languages: especially the ones in written sources.   (With that in mind, you could ALSO answer ‘all three.’   Although languages is the correct answer, as far as I’m concerned.)

A8) Oxford.

A9) Pembroke College and Merton College.

A10) John.

I hope they’re useful … AND fun …

*        All that means is that you’re free to copy, use, alter and build on each of my quizzes: including the Teasers, Gazette Teasers and the Friday Question Sets.   All I ask in return is that you give me an original authors credit on your event’s flyers or posters, or on the night: and, if you republish them, give me an original authors credit AND republish under the same license.   A link back to the site — and to the Gazette’s, if that’s where you’ve found these — would be appreciated: as would pressing my donate button, here.   Every penny is gratefully received.   The references, this week, are on the Brentwood Gazette’s version of this post.